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Buy-Down
When the lender and/or the home builder subsidized the mortgage by lowering the interest rate during the first few years of the loan. While the payments are initially low, they will increase when the subsidy expires. These are sometimes used to qualify borrowers for a loan amount that they would not otherwise qualify for but will be able to pay in subsequent years as their income increases. |
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Debt ratio or Debt-to-Income Ratio
The ratio, expressed as a percentage, is calculated by dividing the monthly payment of long-term debts by gross monthly income. |
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Interest-only payments
Mortgage payments that include only interest. No loan amortization occurs and, thus, the homeowner does not accrue any equity (unless the home value increases). |
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Refinancing
The process of paying off one loan with the proceeds from a new loan secured by the same property. The main reasons for refinancing is to better the borrower with a lower interest rates, loan term reduction, switch to or from a fixed or ARM loan, receive cash out, debt consolidation, or to eliminate a balloon payment. |
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